The Long Way Home, Part Two
is the second issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight comic book series. It was written by Joss Whedon and illustrated by Georges Jeanty. Joss Whedon is the executive producer. Synopsis The destruction of Buffy's hometown, plus covert and powerful slayer “cells” around the world, add up to a new label for the Scoobies: Terrorist threat. Speaking of Sunnydale, the crater formerly known as, has opened to reveal the witch Amy, and boy is she pissed. Now: Giles, smoochies, a knife to the heart, and a big sleep. Season Eight continues.“Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8: #2”. Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved November 12, 2017‎. Summary Somewhere in Eastern Europe, Giles is training a group of Slayers. He is disappointed in their performances, telling them that they have a technique and a power that may even be capable of defeating Buffy, but that they are all fighting alone, failing to look out for the rest of the team. In Scotland, Buffy is having the same problem with her Slayers, who are practicing with swords. To demonstrate the problems with their abilities, she asks Leah, Satsu, and Rowena to “kick her ass,” yet she easily defeats them. She then compliments Satsu on her hair. In Southern Italy, Andrew is outside with a group of Slayers, where he is supposed to be teaching them about fighting strategies and techniques. However, he has gotten lost in a ramble about Star Wars. He only gets back to teaching when Simone Doffler asks him why they are using “medieval junk” as weapons instead of guns. Andrew repeats the mandate that Buffy has used for years, that a Slayer never use a gun. He then goes on to talk about the do's and don'ts of headbutting. Back in Scotland, Dawn takes a bath in a lake while Xander talks to her about her problems with Buffy. Dawn admits that she feels like Buffy hates her, and expresses jealousy over the fact that Buffy now has 500 “new and improved Slayer sisters.” Xander then tentatively asks Dawn if she perhaps made herself giant-sized on purpose. Dawn subsequently splashes him with a sizable wave of water, prompting Xander to complain that he only has two of his military outfits. In the United States of America, General Voll and his assistant discuss Amy's plan to get rid off Buffy, referring to Amy as “their op”. Voll complains that they can't just use a nuclear weapon to destroy Buffy's base of operations, to which his assistant replies that if they were to do so, they would get noticed and most likely indicted. Voll questiones his assistant's commitment, saying that “There is no problem so big or complicated that it can't be blown up.” They then discuss that if Amy fails, they will send in her boyfriend to do the job. After this, Voll goes to take a nap, and once is was in his private quarters, it is revealed that he has the same symbol cut into his chest as the victims Buffy discovered in the church earlier. Meanwhile, Xander talks to Buffy about his discussion with Dawn, including his suggestion that Dawn purposely made herself larger, which Buffy finds too literal an answer. Buffy then asks Xander to come to bed with her. He says that they both know that it was a bad idea, but she promises to be gentle. They move into Buffy's room, where Buffy passionately starts kissing Xander before his head pops off. After frantically saying she is afraid of the dark, she is sucked through the castle wall, falling to the ground. She wishes not to fall, and a gigantic demon impales her feet and hands with its claws, creating an image similar to a crucifixion. Buffy mentions that she knows the demon, before the demon burns her alive with its fire breath. It is revealed that this is all a dream, and that Amy is standing in Buffy's room above the sleeping Buffy, preparing to drive a dagger into her chest. Xander and four Slayers soon burst in to find her there, and Amy immediately stabs Buffy before Xander shoots her in the shoulder with his crossbow. Xander picks up the dagger, which has been split apart by a mystical protection spell they had previously placed over Buffy. Amy points out that Buffy is still sleeping and that the curse she placed on her can only be lifted by the kiss of true love. Renee and another Slayer, keeping watch on the rooftop of the castle, have a brief discussion about whether or not Renee loves Xander, the other said that Renee's sudden interest in a number of Xander's hobbies, including comic books, James Bond movies, and drywalling, speaks of love. Before Renee can reply, they hear a clawing sound and see a legion of kilted zombies climbing up the castle walls. Xander is still talking with Amy when one of the Slayers runs in to tell him of the zombies, who were summoned by Amy. Xander then commands three of the present Slayers to go into the battlefield. When queried about Amy answers that she is bound inside the castle due to their security. He then tells the Slayers to keep a guard on Amy and to get their witches working on the “true love” spell. Amy clarifies that the person who wakes Buffy from her slumber doesn't not have to be someone whom Buffy loves, just someone that truly loves Buffy, then taunts Xander by asking if he'd like to try, referring to his old crush on Buffy. As the Slayers fight the zombies — at least two are dead or severely wounded, including Renee, stabbed with their own swords —, Buffy continues her dream, internally pleading for it to stop, saying that it hurts too much. That is when a figure in a duster and a red shirt, whose face remains unseen, appears to her, offering a hand and telling her that he had much that he needs to show her, calling her “my love.” As Satsu informs an overwhelmed Xander that they are losing the battle against the zombies, Amy sits on the windowsill in Buffy's room surveying the carnage. She boasts aloud that not one person there could take her down. Willow then appears, floating outside the window, and boasts “As a friend of mine once said… I'd like to test that theory.” Continuity *This issue marks the very first appearance of Simone Doffler, a rogue Slayer and eventually the Big Bad in Buffy Season 9. *Buffy dreams about her attraction to Xander, revealed to have developed it after their long friendship. She’ll only talk with him about this matter in Retreat, Part Three. *Willow taunts Amy's confidence in her own abilities, saying: “As a friend of mine once said… I'd like to test that theory.” This is a reference to Giles's words to Willow herself in episode "Two to Go". *Willow wears the same dress as in Bedknobs and Boomsticks. Appearances Individuals *Simone Doffler *Gia *Rupert Giles *Alexander Harris *Leah *Amy Madison *Warren Mears *Ethan Rayne *Renee *Willow Rosenberg *Rowena *Satsu *Buffy Summers *Dawn Summers *Voll Organizations and titles *Scooby Gang *Slayer *Slayer Organization *Twilight Group *United States Armed Forces *Watcher *Watchers Council *Witch Species *Demon *Giant *Human *Zombie Locations *Dreamspace *Scotland **Slayer Organization command center *Sunnydale, USA **Dextralcorp Recycling Technologies *Italy Weapons and objects *Cross *Mʔ Rituals and spells *True Love spell Other *Mark of Twilight Death count *Unknown number of Slayers, killed by zombies. *Unknown number of zombies, killed by Slayers. Behind the scenes Production *According to Georges Jeanty, Willow’s dress is a homage to "Once More, with Feeling", in which she and Tara wore similar long dresses.“Exclusive Interview with Georges Jeanty”. The Comic Book Guide to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, April 09, 2007. Retrieved January 20, 2018. Distribution *'' '' was the twelfth best selling comic issue in its publishing month, with 96,409 sales in April 2007 at comic specialty stores.“Top 300 Comics Actual--April 2007”. ICv2, May 21, 2007. Retrieved December 27, 2017. It was also among the 300 best selling of May, June, September, and November 2007.“ICv2's Top 300 Comics & Top 300 GN's index”. ICv2. Retrieved December 27, 2017. *As the printings were sold out, there were three additional printings available for this issue. Collections *"The Long Way Home" *"Season 8 Library Edition, Volume 1" *"Omnibus: Season 8, Volume 1" Goofs, bloopers & continuity errors *Willow has her eyes colored blue in her first panel, then they become brown for the rest of the issue, instead of green as they most commonly appear. *Giles has his eyes colored brown, instead of green (as portrayed by Anthony Stewart Head) or blue as they most commonly appear. Pop culture references *Andrew talks to his Slayers about Star Wars. *Renee has gotten interested in the fictional character James Bond. *Buffy has a portrait of queen Elizabeth I of England in her bedroom. International titles *'French:' Un Long Retour au Bercail, Deuxième Partie ( ) *'German:' Der Lange Weg Nach Hause, Zweiter Teil ( ) *'Italian:' La Lunga Strada Verso Casa, Parte 2 ( ) *'Portuguese (Brazil):' O Longo Caminho de Casa, Parte Dois ( ) *'Russian:' Долгая дорога домой, Часть 2 ( ) *'Spanish:' El Largo Camino a Casa, Parte II ( ) *'Turkish:' Evden Uzakta, Kısım İki (Away from Home, Part Two) Other *This issue was adapted into a Season Eight Motion Comic episode. Gallery Additional covers B08-02-00c.jpg|Second printing B08-02-00d.jpg|Third printing B08-02-00e.jpg|Final printing Cover artwork B8-02-00b.jpg|Jo Chen main cover B8-02-01b.jpg|Georges Jeanty variant Preview B08-02-P1.jpg B08-02-P2.jpg Quotes References nl:The Long Way Home, Deel Twee Category:Season Eight Category:Buffy comics